Virus threatening tomato crops in Essex County
A virus that threatens tomatoes, peppers and other plants first identified in Israel in 2014 has made its way to Ontario.
A warning from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) was issued in May, when the virus was first detected in the province.
Since then the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) has warned its members and distributed information on how to prevent the virus's spread.
"We're all on pins and needles because we don't know how bad it could get," said Gerry Mastronardi, president of TG&G Mastronardi produce in Leamington, Ont.
The virus is called the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus and it affects all varieties of tomatoes grown in greenhouses and open fields.There's no pesticide that can kill it, so the OGVG has advised growers to implement biosecurity measures to prevent contamination.
"So making sure you're limiting access to the crop. So if people don't have to go into the greenhouse make sure they're not going into the greenhouse," said Justine Taylor, science and governmental relations manager for the OGVG in Leamington.
The OGVG also advised growers to wear special clothing in their greenhouses, as well as to disinfect any machinery or tools that come in contact with crops or people who work in the greenhouse.
"What we've seen across the world is that the virus is manageable using strict biosecurity and clean-out protocols," said Taylor.
The virus isn't harmful to humans, but it causes grotesque discolouration and deformity in fruit, eventually killing it.
If left unchecked, the virus could cause untold millions of dollars in damage.
Municipal officials are also concerned.
"It is a big concern for our local production and certainly globally for food production in general," said Kingsville, Ont. Mayor Nelson Santos.
OMAFRA has not said where the virus was detected and the OGVG knows of no cases in the Kingsville and Leamington area yet.
"We have to be very diligent and do our due diligence and make sure that this virus is quarantined and hopefully eradicated and it will be business as usual," said Mastronardi, adding he's confident the virus can be beat.
He hopes scientists can come up with a tomato variety immune to the disease.
